llll1/r KK.11 CONTROL DESK BQ.UI.AIER'l' SPECI!'ICiTION

Transcription

1 llll1/r KK.11 CONTROL DESK BQ.UI.AIER'l' SPECI!'ICiTION idvanoed DeYelopments Group Issue As ilp 23rd July, Issue.Bs ilp 4th Sept., Issue C: ilp 7th Dec., Issue D: ilp lbth Dec., Issue Es ilp 7th Jan., ~..,,,

2 ". Index 1. OBJECTIVE 2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 2.1. Master Control 2.2. Channel Control 3. OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION 3.1. Switch On 3.2. Cue Select 3.3. Record 3.4. Read 3.5. Add & tract Add tract 3.6. Auto Mod Fade Out 4. ELECTRONIC DESIGN 4.1. Memory 4.2. Control Desk Interface 4.3. Dimmer Interface 4.4. Central Control 4.5. Future DeYelopments 5. GLOSSARY OF TERMS ~ppendix A Desk Controls Appendix B Functional Block Schematic Appendix C Bar Chart

3 .. Page l 1. OBJECTIVE This equipment proposal is based on a required IDfr! system performance requirement outlined in a draft paper by F. dated The principal objective is to produce a system which functionally satisfies this performance and to be completed before June 30th The operating controls are based on the use of rockers (time controls) as opposed to slides (position controls ) and the system is described IDt1/ R 14K.ll. Appendix C shows that it is intended to design and manufacture a demonstration model first, followed soon after by a pre-production first model. The latter to be completed by June 30th 1969, and later installed in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfor~. The. installation completion date is scheduled for September 30th ~ The demonstration model wil l be 20 channel 50 cue and the preproduction model 250 chann el?50 cue. \ This development could be an opportune time to integrate the memory t,nd co~sole logic in a more economical way than hitherto. However, this a pp~oach iould involve some redesign of the memory unit and although this may ma.1c.eco Aomical sense the consideration must re main secondary to the principal objective which is:- demonstration made available for display to customer as soon as March l this the date bein aimed for. As work proceeds this Equipment Specification will be regularly updated and distributed to serve as a detailed guide to what is bein g done. 2. GENERAL DESCRIPrION Each channel will have a separate control and indicator in the form of a rocker. Individual operation of rockers makes it possible to raise some (any number) of channels whilst lowering any number of the others. The centre push of each rocker gives "dial" and subject to mode switches, other conditions like Flash, Auto Mod. etc. The basic operation depends on two independent masters which do not change their identity. The Red master is always Red and the Green master always Green. Both masters have identical facilities, add, subtract, remainder, dim, etc. (The demonstration model rill be limited to a single master ). Ea.eh of the two masters consist of a rocker exactly similar to a channel rocker. A voltmeter is fitted in each master circuit to show the progress of change from Oto 10. Two ranges of speed are provided by means of a switch and the actual speed is selected on a slider. A crossfade is effected by pressing rem. dim. and the top of the rocker simultaneously. Recording is carried out by either pickin g up the Record number or the Re-rP.cord number. Record will memorize ALL the stage lighting and Re-rec ord only that lighting due to that particular master. Auto mod. facility is to be included.

4 ,, I, Page Master Control This description is of a single master only. an exact and independent duplicate. The other will be The next required cue is selected by "NEXT" which selects the next cue number in sequence or by "RECALL" which selects the cue indicator on the push button selector. This cue is then input by pressing "READ". After the cue has been read, the new pattern is input by pressing the rocker. Pressing the top part of the rocker will cause it to be ADDED TO and pressing the lower half will cause it to be SUB'l'RAC~ED FROM the existing lighting. The adding and subtracting will be carried out only while the rocker is being pressed and stop when it is released - this process may be repeated until the cue is fully input or it may be discontinued at any intermediate level. The first operation of the rocker after "read" will determine if the operation is to be ADD or SUBTRACT. The important difference being that the contents of STORE B will be changed for the latter (see ). However, after this transfer hs.s or ha.a not been made the upper and lower half of the rocker will raise or lower the level of the B store. To this extent "add" and "subtract" may be alternated between to give the effects of "raise" and "lower". The BATE at which the adding or subtracting takes place is determined by two separate controls consisting of a slider and a switch, the latter selecting one of two different rates. When the switch is in the fast position the slider may be positioned to select a rate between 2 seconds (min.) and 20 seconds (max.) and in the slow position between 20 seconds (min.) and 3 minutes (ma.x.). The centre button on the rocker will cause~. DI]. and the lamp under the p.b. will illuminate for the duration of R.E2.i. DIM - automatically extinguishin g when the operation is complete. If REM.. DIM. has been preceeded by R&I.D then the channels will go to black but if the Rai1. DIM. is preceeded by ADD the rem. dim. channels will only go to store B levels. The rate of lowering will aeain be as selected on the rate slider/switch combination, but once the button is pressed the rem. dim. operation will continue until fully completed, unlike the add/subtract facilities which are only "go" when the rocker is depressed. The top lamp of the master rockers will light when store A is other than zero (and also when the level is at other than zero). The bottom lamp will light when store Bis other than zero (and the level of store Bother than zero). Two lamps thus remind the operator that the stage lighting represents more than one memory. On subtracting, the top lamp will remain on whilst there is still something left in the playback (i.e. store A). A vertical scale meter ("dial") alongside the rate scale selector monitors the rate of progress of incoming cue. The dial resets to zero at the time something is read and reverses polarity should the bottom of the Master rocker be used to subtract. It will then either raise as the incoming cue is brought in or quickly reverse and commence to lower if subtract is initiated on touching the bottom of the rocker. In either case the meter polarity is locked until re-reading Channel Control Each channel has a rocker which may be used for initial setting or amending an existing memory. The rockers are used in conjunction with a twin fader unit, two switches, a four position and a three position, and a channel meter.

5 ~ Page 3 As in the case of the master rockers the two "rock" positions are!dd for the upper part and SUETRACT for the lower part - for that particular channel. All ch&n.nels rill have individual movement such that any nm:1ber ~ be changed simultaneously either up or down or a mixture. The trin fader unit is used to select either rate of channel change or to set a "Top Limit". The left hand fader rill specify linearly variable speed between 2 seconds and 20 seconds (bottom and top extremety respectively) and this rill be the speed setting at which the rockers rill ADD or SUBTRAC'r a "full house". The right hand fader rill be normally fn the max. position where operation of a microswitch is used to define the twin fader in it's speed selector mode as previously described. When the right band fader is in any other position such that the microewitch is not operated (say leas than about 95'{., of max.) it's position denotes a fixed proportion of maximum value and on pressing the top of the rocker this value is entered as a preset level. The top of the rocker will switch it in and the bottom rill remove it. When this ie carried out the operation is Tisually "instantaneous" (i.e. lees than lo OmS). This facility allows quick setting of approximate values and eliminates the need for each channel to be run up from zero. The various functions of the different combinations of the two additional switches are shown in the following table:- 4. p;sitio -n- -~ switch pos- t channel position l position 2 1 ion. switch "function "RED "GREEN channel MASTER" MASTER" store I position 1 "CONTENTS'A'" ADD increases contents of RED A ADD increases contents of GREEN A SUB decreases SUB decreases contents of contents of RED A GREEN A displays on I displays on channel meter channel meter contents of contents of RED.A. GREEN A position 3 position 4 "FLASH" ADD. As for "AUTO" ADD. Select this chann el for Auto mod. SUB. As for SU3. Clear this channel for auto mod. Flashes P.B. Check P.B. channel at l lamp circuits - second rate all channels L_ position 2 "CONTENTS 'B'" position 3 COMBINED OUTPUT ADD increases ADD increases ADD, A.a for!dd. Select this i contents of contents of channel for i RED B GREEN B Auto mod. I film decreases SUB decreases SUB. As for 1 SUB. Clear contents of contents of this channel RED B GREEN B for Auto mod. displays on P.~. displays on Flashes Check top channel meter channel meter channel at 1 rocker lamp circui t.s- all contents of contents of second rate RED B GREEN B channels I -- i ADD Nothing ADD Nothing ' ADD As for ADD Select I this channel for Auto mod. SUB Nothing SUB Nothing, SUB As for SUB. Clear :, this channel for I l Auto mod. P. R. Displays Displays II Flashes I Check bot- ' on channel meter total level on channel met- channel at 1 _J tom rocker lamp at dimmer input rate~ a~ r~:~n~ _-_ : _~?: _!_r_l:_. :_;_!_t ~~~~:i:

6 Page 4 The items ADD, SUBTRACT, are the three possible states of rocker. It may be noted that the push button () may be operated simultaneously with either ADD or SUBTRACT. When the CHANNEL FUNCTION switch is in either the RED or GREEN MASTER positions the dial will be connected for ADD and SUBTRACT as well as providing that only one rocker is being operated. When more than one rocker is being added or subtracted simultaneously the dial will indicate zero as it will if more than one is pressed simultaneously. Auto Mod. allows selected channels to be set to various preset values and automatically substituted when cues containing other than zero in those channels are read. One of the locations in the memory unit will be allocated to this auto mod facility. Reading a memory will be indicated on the channel rockers. The top half will display red master and the lower green master. 3. OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION The operational facilities are best explained by an appreciation of the general functional arrangement of the logic. This is shown schematically in Appendix B. Basically each.master has two backill8 stores, STORE A and STORE B. When a new memory is read it is fed into store Band the previously combined STORE A and STORE B effect (i.e. the actual stage lighting), is fed into STORE A. At the same instant the level of store A is taken to maximum and store B to minimum. (The previous levels could have been any value for STORE Band either zero or max. for STORE A) Switch On The contents of both A and B stores are set to zero with A at high level and Bat low level Cue Select Selects the memory address of the next required cue. This action will carry out part of the addressing of the memory. In the case of a drum unit complete cues should be stored on a single track to reduce access time due to track switching. The tracking switching can then be arranged to be done by the cue select where a greater time is available Record This is exactly the same as for IDM/DL; a cue number is selected, the lighting is set and the "record" button pressed. This push-button is duplicated for each master to simplify operation. Place the contents of the selected cue into STORE B from the memory and set STORE B to zero level. Transfers the combined pattern from two stores into the STORE A at the high level and resets STORE B to low level Add and tract "Add" or "tract" is defined by which half (top or bottom) of the I rocker is touched first after a Read command. This will be Add for the top half and subtract for the bottom half. The actions of "Add" or "tract" will be retained until the next Read command when the Add/tract decision will be repeated as before.

7 Page 5 The rocker top is touched to initiate "Add" and this increases the level of STORE Bat the set IN RATE. This action may be stopped then continued, or reversed, or run continuously to any desired level. The level progress will be monitored by the meter. tract The rocker bottom is touched to initiate subtract and this action causes the B stores which hold other than zero to have substituted in them the contents of the corresponding A store and these A store channels will be cleared, At the same time the B level is increased to max. (Thie will not be shown on the meter which is permanently monitoring the B level since the meter is reversed for this operation). The operation of subtract is now to reduce the level of the B store at the set "IN RATE". This operation may be, stopped then continued, or reversed, or run continuously to any desired level Auto Mod. The channels requiring modification are adjusted to their required mod. level and recorded in a memory location reserved for auto mod. Thereafter, when inditidual channel auto-mod. buttons are set (indicated by the centre push being lit and the mode switch in the auto-mod. position) anr memory called which hae some level recorded in those channels will have the mod letels substituted Fade Out This is achieved by pressing the bottom of the rocker and running down the level of Store B. 4. ELECTRONIC DESIGN 4.1. Memory For the demonstration model, the new core prototype memory will be used and for the pre-production unit a CMS type 256/256 memory. The interface will be built to work into the -20v. signal levels currently being used as standard since this will enable use of existing unmodified memories and t he existing Test Unit. However, this will, of course, be using redundant circuits and the intention will be to remove these AFTER the pre-production unit is completed on subsequent models. (Note. This will necessitate a new or modified Test Unit) Control Desk Interface Propose minimum electronics in control desk and time shared cables to memory - indefinite length and number of cables reduced to handful List of Controls from Control Desk to Central Control Item No. Function 1 Cue Select. Units 0 2 ' 3 t 4 J 5.., 6 s- 7 " ' IO 7

8 Page 6 Item No. II 10 It ,y 13 ~14 '" 15,716 Function Cue Select. Tens 0, 'Z J c, ) t)l~b:---~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ 9' Hundreds ~~ 1 ~~ "Z."J Masters. Red Rooker J\dd Record Rerecord Next Recall Cancel Black Out ' Channel. Speed Range Speed l Speed 2 Speed 4 Speed 8 Speed 16 Channel 1 rocker Add Channel 2 rocker Add Channel 3 rocker Add Channel 4 rocker idd Channel 5 rocker Add Channel Channel Channel 6 rocker Add 7 rocker idd 8 rocker idd Channel 9 rocker idd Channel 10 rocker Add Channel 11 rocker Add p.b. Channel 12 rocker Add

9 Page 1 Item No. 71, ~ gz..,, c;z.. 1"1.Function Channel. Channel 12 rocker Channel 13 rocker Add Channel 14 rocker Add Channel 15 rocker Add Channel 16 rocker Add Channel 17 rocker Add p.h. Channel 18 rocker Add Channel 19 rocker.add p.b. Channel 20 rocker Add P.B. Channel Punction Switch - Red Master Green.Master Flash Auto Mod. (Ol. ~ l l)>l y: l.ct2 Channel Store Switch - Contents A Contents B Combined Output 4.3. Di:llmer Interface existing Dimmer input is to be an analogue Toltage coapatable rlth diallers Central Control Core store as central control Future DeYelopaents The design of the a~etea should preferabl7 aim to include the possibility of eiaple conversion to Dili/L llk. 2, i.e. levers rather than rockers. To date no investigation has been made of the implications of this requirement.

10 Page 8 5. GLOSSARY OF TEBIIS Auto Mod. Channel llimic Indicator(a) which gites state of channel. For Illl/R Mk.2 a rocker with three lamps one each in the top, bottom and centre. The top and bottom lamps are off, dim or fully on when the channel contents equal zero, leas tha.n t letel, more than t letel respectitely. The indication of more than or less than t level might be omitted and replaced with a simple indication of something' or 'nothing' - on economic grounds. The top lamp indicates red master and the bottom one green master. The centre lamp is used in conjunction with a mode switch to indicate flash, auto mod. or dial. Refers to the connection of a store to a meter to display in an analogue manner the store contents. Fade Out Flash When the mode switch is on "Flaahtt pressing the centre button of the rocker will cause that lamp to flash on the stage at a one second rate with 5o,; duty cycle. Playback tract